Week 3 Victory: Upon Further Digestion....

Upon further digestion, I've de-deuced that I'm just a giant crybaby. A WIN......IS A WIN! If I continue to watch the Chargers each week and then gripe over how they win games then I'll be as miserable as a Lion fan c. 2008 (or would it be c. 1929-2009?). Are there things I'd like to see the Chargers do better? Sure.

Like anyone else, I'd love to see red zone efficiency. I don't blame the players so much for the inefficiencies but instead look at the FG attempts as a function of the play calling. We often hear how inside the twenty yard line the field becomes shorter and consequently a more difficult area to score. Well I have news for Norv....when you choose to run a 5 foot nothing, 100 pound nothing in to the line on every 1st down, that Red Zone GETS EVEN SMALLER!!!!! Utilize our receivers height. On first down throw a jump ball to one of the giants and get the touchdown via an alley-oop. Jump Ball. Seriously. Run the picket fence at 'em.

The play calling is really my only complaint. We have tons of injuries and guys are stepping up to the challenge. We can't control the injuries and it'll probably be after the bye week before we see LT and Merriman. But we can control the inventiveness and the overall strategy with which we attack. We can control the health of Phillip by having him take shorter drops and hitting the big fellas with shorter passes. Fifty yard bombs are fun but so are underneath routes that allow receivers to accumulate YAC. Those sorts of plays also control the clock because of their high completion percentage. Of course, what the hell do I know?

2-1 and traveling to Steel Town makes me happier than 1-2. Troy Polamalu's absence shows just how important he is to that Steeler defense and so that gives me hope that we can sneak into the bye week above .500.

One last thing.....I wish I had video of a particular play from the first half of the Charger/Phin game. I think Ronnie Brown or Rickie Williams caught a ball coming out of the backfield and proceeded to run across to Antonio Cromartie's side of the field. Cro' sized him up, 'broke down', lunged for the tackle......and absolutely WHIFFED! Cro' caught nothing but air. Luckily, Kevin Burnett was in hot pursuit and caught the Dolphin from behind a split second later. Antonio Cromartie's tackling efforts are akin to the SNL Mother Lover Video........extraordinarily-crap yourself-funny.

Steeler Week

What's Pittsburgh Steeler blog, One For The Other Thumb, saying about this week's game?

Excellent photoshops as always.

Stay classy OFTOT.

For more of Ron Burgundy and friends allow me to recommend, Bitches Love Smiley Faces. A stellar cover song--check it.

Can You Guess The One ESPN 'Expert' Who Actually Chose Carolina To Win On The Road Tonight In Dallas? You Better Be Able to!

So you've read the title to this post and undoubtedly you're glancing at the graphic trying to make sense of my question.

The graphic to the side is from ESPN's website but it's wholly inaccurate. It indicates that all of ESPN's analysts (and boy are there a lot of them) picked Dallas to Christen the new stadium with a win tonight.....but that's not what I saw on TV whilst watching the pregame. A lone 'expert' climbed out on to the limb of the crazy tree and prognosticated a Panther win in Big D.

Now look at that lineup.....EIGHT. Count 'em, EIGHT, 'experts' giving their predictions. Which fella chose the woeful Carolina Panthers to get a tough road victory in week 3. Look hard....

Who's the type of guy who would go completely against the grain despite the ignorant masses (me) guffawing at his every ill-timed, idiotic move?

Who's the guy who, year in and year out, proved the ol' adage that, "The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results."

How 'bout the guy who regularly substantiates the idea of the Peter Principle?

Have you still not guessed? ESPN baffles me with their hiring practices.....

Survivor Pool Week 3

With the masses polling heavily in favor of a Baltimore victory in my Survivor Pool this week I stood fast with my initial gut reaction to ride the Ravens.

When it was all said and done I felt GREAT.... great like Willis McGahee minus the illegitimate children.

Only one player eliminated this week (on account of laziness) so 6/12 remain. The following S.O.B.s are off the board:

• New England Patriots
• Minnesota Vikings
• Baltimore Ravens

I see those in the poll below as the best options. If you think there's another 'better play' then make a suggestion, with this caveat: I need new socks, the bills are coming due and if I can keep winning I can continue to write these easy posts with polls. Don't disappoint!

Charger Fan In Donkey Land: Week 3 Dolphins

Here we go again.

Another week with LT injured, and Merriman a non factor due to his groin injury.

We lean on .43 cent and Mr. English to step up for our two injured warriors.

.43 stepped up as expected, but our running game was dismal in not only the first half, but the entire game.

Was pleased to see the D step up after the first drive when they allowed the Dolphins to get down to the one.....which resulted in the Bolts winning the lottery with the fumble out of the back of the end zone. They seemed to stabilize as the former Enterprise Rent a Car Associate Nwagbuo showed up today and filled in reasonably well for Jamal.

We saw the offense opening up as expected with the injuries we have encountered early on. Seeing Malcom Floyd get the 46 yrd catch down the middle followed up on the following possession by the 50+ yrd catch by Vincent Jackson was what we can expect over the next few weeks. Let's not forget about Gates who had his fair share of catches today for a good amount of yrds. Also liked the screen to Naanee, and the fun with .43 tossing the ball back to Rivers for the completion to Gates.

Again today we had to witness the field goals vs. the touchdowns. Can not continue this lack of scoring. On top of that Nate can not be missing any, especially a 41 yarder to end the half and give us the lead.

Next week we will need the Defense to again step up big and we cannot settle for field goals. The Steelers will put up a fight on their home field, but as we have seen over the last two weeks they are not the Super Bowl team of '08 and their defense has shown that they have holes we can exploit with our passing game.

Sunday Night Football is the prime time for us to show our real colors.

Have a great week all, in preparation for our Sunday Night Showdown.

Go BOLTS!

Charger Fan in Donkey Land

Editor's Note:

• I'll choose to refer to Nwagbuo as Photo Unavailable rather than the Former Enterprise Rent A Car associate. Not a dig on the Spartan alum but more on the site administrators that can't seem to round up a head-shot. C'mon now!
  
• A win is a win....but I'm not bespectacled with the rose tinted variety like my compadre, the CFIDL. I'm still digesting...
  

Pre Game Week 3 Versus The Dolphins: SNL's Mother Lover Brings Perspective To This Ridiculous Fan

In the previous post I suggested that watching the Mother Lover video by Justin Timberlake and Andy Samberg was an apt descriptor of Charger Fan reactions following the home loss against Ray Lewis' will last week. If you haven't figured it out....I meant that both were funny.

Seriously. That Mother Lover song is hilarious sh*t....and for a moment it made me stop thinking about Norv's terrible play calling and even worse press conferences. While the video is funny so is the collective response of Charger fan. C'mon people......every year starts this way:
--Chargers lose.
--Fans crap themselves.
--Fans begin questioning Norv, AJ and every personnel move down to those final 53 man cuts.

We'd be well served to chill out for a moment...but I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the following:

The definition of ridiculously moronic and incredibly dimwitted is
to continue doing the same ridiculously moronic and incredibly dimwitted thing
and to expect a result
that is not
ridiculously moronic and incredibly dimwitted

I'm no Einstein so I can't tell you if it's him that I'm paraphrasing or if it's Edison or some other mad genius (hasn't Norv been described that way?). But the point I'm making is as follows: in order for me to simultaneously remove the noose from my neck, put the pills back in the medicine cabinet, and to trigger the safety on the 12 gauge sawed off, I need to see the coaching staff make some adjustments that account for the early injury losses we've sustained thus far.

On offense our running game and line play is suspect. So let's make sure we control the ball but also keep Franchise Phil safe by utilizing our giant receivers in a short west coast style passing adjustment. If we don't control the ball against Miami we may end up seeing a replay from the Miami/Indy game and by replay I'm not talking about a Miami loss.

On defense we've lost the center piece of the unit. Without Jamal we have to consider a serious overhaul as there's not a player on our roster who can replace him...and let's be honest, we weren't stopping the run even with the big fella in there against the Rai-duhs. What defensive adjustment will Ron Rivera make?

This isn't a must win but look to the future: a loss at home to Miami followed by a trip to Pittsburgh where regular season history has not been kind would be foreboding....1-3 going into the bye week. Yikes! We can say all we want that there's no reason to panic because we've overcome those odds in both the 2007 and 2008 seasons but it would also be foolhardy to compare the 2009 edition to either of those squads. In 2009, both the defense and rushing attacks are less than what they once were.

Besides; contenders win their home games.

Go Chargers!

Editor's Notes:

• Thank you for your input Faithful Eleven; Week 3 survivor pool = Baltimore Ravens!
• Is it to early to begin with advice from the Site Sages and installations of Voodoo. My sense is yes...but if Jessica Alba will start getting us wins I may have to make a concession.
• We do play in the AFC West.....so I suppose you can scrap the above diatribe.
  

We Get To Watch The Game on Sunday...which is nice

I haven't been able to get back into a rhythm with last week's trip to South Bend coupled with catch-up at the job but there are a couple things worth mentioning.

While looking at the Justin Timeberlake/Andy Samberg Mother Lover creation, I realized that it perfectly captured the week-in-angst for Charger Fans. You'll have to think about it....

Keep thinking about it.

No Blackout on Sunday.....rejoice.

College football in person is a fantastic experience.

Celebrating Halfway-to-St.-Patrick's day is a good time.

Calling someone you don't know 'buddy' or 'hondo' is a permissible gesture of conviviality.

Using 'hoss' is friendly but has suspect connotations (think--'hey, fatboy!')........

'Pal' will get you a raised eyebrow....

The coup de grace; 'guy'. The descriptor 'guy' will bring about your destruction with extreme prejudice......

You'll have to trust me as this conversation was a 36 hour filibuster in the Great Lakes region last week.

Stop the Wildcat!

Peace, Hondo.

Survivor Pool Week 2

Last week the masses spoke: Survival shall be achieved by backing the Vikings on the road against the Laughingstock Lions.....

...and right you were, Faithful Eleven (errr, eight). The Vikings, resounding 14 point winners, help me stay alive in the FFL Survival Pool. There's only 7 of 12 players that remain with yet another sucka falling last week. Once again I solicit your advice.

Vote.

If you've got a better course of action, write something in the comments section. Keep the following in mind; I've already used New England and Minnesota; I need new socks and the bills are coming due......

The Ray Lewis Take on Norv's Play Calling

I still haven't seen the game so I don't know if I'm qualified to comment on whether or not Norv is as big a moron as he's being portrayed.......but........why don't we all listen to the Ravens' Ray Lewis and then make our judgement (click the third video option):

Hmmm....

More from the Baltimore Sun:

.....None of the Ravens' stands was more dramatic than the last. On first down from the Ravens' 23, the Chargers (1-1) took their shot at the end zone, but Ravens cornerback Frank Walker (who replaced an injured Fabian Washington) broke up the pass to receiver Legedu Naanee.

Three plays later, on fourth-and-2, Lewis said he knew what play was coming as soon as quarterback Philip Rivers dropped the ball down to hand it off. Calling it a risk, he slashed through the middle of the offensive line unblocked and pounced on Sproles to essentially end the game.

Some players acknowledged that they were shocked at the Chargers' play call. San Diego, which had its starting center and right guard out with injuries, decided to run the ball up the middle with the game on the line.

Well allow me to retort: Hmmm.

Charger Fan In Donkey Land: Week 2 Ravens

Another nail biter, this time ending with a negative result.

However, what is one to expect when sitting with a 4th and 2 with a quarterback who is having the most productive game of his career?

I think I speak for every Bolt fan who walks the earth, when I say that handing the ball off deep in the back field was the last possible play that would have been called.

Though the game should have never come down to that play, you have to look to Norv to make a better decision in that position.

With the injuries we encountered in week 1, it is evident that we will be playing wide open over the coming weeks. The learning curve for SD's linemen will be steep and we can not afford to have another penalty stricken game like Sunday. Kicking field goals vs. touchdowns is unacceptable, specifically when you are on the 1 inch line and take a delay of game penalty. WTF was that?

We need to shore up the Defense as well, with them giving up the uncharacteristic yardage in both of the first two weeks. It looks like our Defense, as a whole, have an allergy to any quarterback we face. One sack today is unacceptable, and I would expect a minimum of 3 per game from our guys. If not that, then how about we slow the run down. Stopping it doesn't seem like a realistic expectation after the display shown during the first two weeks.

Moving forward, the confidence prevails and I feel we will take care of the Dolphins next week in our house. I am waiting for the breakout game for the Defense and watching our Chargers run up the score and play up to our potential. It was nice to get our loss out of the way for the season, and we only look up from here.

Keepin the Bolt Pride Alive.

Charger Fan in Donkey Land

Editor's Note:
I was out of town and upon return last evening I knew nothing about the game against the Ravens nor did I even know that Jamal was out for the year. As I piece together the home opening debacle from word of mouth and detail deficient UT articles I still can't explain the rumors that we kicked a FG on 3rd down as well as the decision to run .43 cent at the beastly Ray Lewis (I, however, have read that Ray Lewis wasn't at all surprised by the Chargers' play call in that situation.....something about it being predictable based on the previous week's game film. Huh...predictable?). I'm going to get to the bottom of this. Feel free to help me out as I didn't tape the game.

The Charger Fan in Donkey Land: Week 1 Raiders

As the Chargers in their POWDER BLUE embark on a new season we begin with a game for the centuries. In fact it was just that, the 100th meeting between the Chargers and the Haiders.

The excitement was high as Nate kicked the ball off to begin the final game of week one, capping off a Monday night double header. The excitement quickly was disrupted as we witnessed the unthinkable; the Haiders ran the ball up the gut with little resistance from our defensive line, or linebackers for that matter. In this house a calm silence rang out, as what began as a fluke seemed to continue for what felt like forever. The Raiders first drive was not stopped as we have grown accustomed to from our standard BOLTS DEFENSE. As I sat on the edge of my seat dumbfounded at what was occurring before my eyes, Jamarcus tossed the ball to none other than Quentin Jammer. THAT IS THE DEFENSE WE REMEMBER..

As the television went to break, allowing a brief moment to secure another cold one, the excitement was back as the offense was sure to come out with a purpose unlike the D.

However, that was short lived as we began the 09-10 season with a three-and-out..... discouraging to watch, but the confidence never wavered for us true bleeders of Blue and Gold.

Sproles showed up in the kicking game as expected and put us in a most generous position on not one, but two occasions that I recall specifically. Considering the lack luster play we witnessed overall we were tied at the half.

As the second half began the excitement again entered everyone, as our expectations were there to be had yet again. As the ball finally seemed to be thrown in the direction of our many play making receivers, things began to look up. Unfortunately only to end in punts for the third quarter.

With the fourth quarter beginning, we all looked on knowing it was only a matter of time before we took control of the game. With the score 17 - 13 and the Haiders with a 3rd and 15 the feeling that we were in a good spot was there, specifically after Weddle laid the hit on the receiver jarring the ball loose and leaving said Haider in a bad way on the turf. Then came that horrific 4th and 15 play that for all of us, and YES I can speak for ALL of us; the worst defensive display we will see all season. Glad we got it out of our system in week one.

The last drive was one to build on. With LT starting the drive with a couple of decent runs, and Rivers getting a bit, and I mean only a bit of time to throw the ball we were moving down the field as we all knew we were capable of doing. With Sproles catching the check down passes and taking them for first downs, as we all were anticipating to have seen throughout the game, the confidence never wavered, not for a moment. Even with time running down, there was NO doubt in this Charger Fan's Mind that we would not come out victorious. Sure enough with :18 on the clock little 43 ran right up the gut for the winning touchdown.

This was far from our best performance, but a win is a win, and there are many a team out there sitting 0 and 1 wishing they were in the position our Chargers are in.

Next week we will come out with more of a purpose as we defend the Murph and show the league what is coming their way over the next 16 weeks in preparation for OUR post season run.

Here is to another great year for all of the Charger Faithful.

Charger Fan in Donkey Land

GO BOLTS!!! 1 and 0

Survivor Pool Week 1

Cool throwbacks....even cooler gloves. Randy Moss needs a Randy Moss 'throwback' moment. He's been an intolerably good citizen since arriving to NE.

I've never done a survivor pool before but it is a component of the FF league that I'm in this year, so I'm awkwardly navigating the terrain. What I'm saying is that I really don't have a strategy. I'm not looking ahead because who knows how far it'll go with only 12 players involved (4 were already eliminated in Week 1). So my only gameplan for week 1 was to pick what I felt was an ABSOLUTE lock!

I started with the Chargers on the road but opted out for the Patriots at home. What a disgusting feeling to be rooting for the Patriots during that comeback against the Bills last night. I felt dirty.....like Ace Ventura after the grim realization that Finkle was Einhorn. I too should have burnt my clothes, turned on Boy George and jumped into the shower to cry.

Somehow I was able to do it. Perhaps it was the Patriot throwbacks that allowed me to push on through. They looked less threatening; more like the doormats they were back in the day. I dug it.

Anyways...it's week 2 and I'm soliciting advice from the Faithful Eleven that frequent this site. I've narrowed it down to three Mortal Locks of the week. Cast a vote or offer up a better option. I need new socks and I've got bills to pay.....

12 In A Row: San Diego Chargers 24 Hapless Raiders 20

The Bolts have no linemen left. LT (hurt his ankle?) didn't play during crunch time. Richard Seymour showed up yesterday, met his teammates and dominated the Chargers' O-Line. No discernible pressure on the Phunky Phat Quarterback.

We do have .43 cent......and at least we won.

I wonder if anyone was pissed about the Chargers coming out on top?

San Diego Versus Oakland Week 1: What This Charger Fan Expects

I should be coming at you with the full flavor of a football fan deprived of violence for the last nine months.

I should be going on about this being the 50 Year Anniversary of the San Diego Chargers and how we're opening up against another AFL original, The Hapless Oakland Raiders.

I should be clamoring for stellar offensive line play, the kind that opens holes so big, LT could drive more than a Segue through 'em. My focus should be on the efficiency of an offense that is all too often lauded as the most talented in the league but finds itself three-and-out, with too great of frequency.

I should also mention the defense and the sort of commotion I pray to see tonight from a Buddy Ryan schooled coordinator, in one Ron Rivera. Rivera has led this unit for nearly a calendar year and ALL Charger fans want to witness havoc via pressure and aggression. I could also mention that at games' end I really want to believe.......to believe that the 2009 edition of the San Diego Chargers are here for hardware. Vince's hardware.

These are all things, from a technical standpoint, that I should want to see.....

But all I really want to see is an absolute drubbing of the Oakland Raiders, the sort of destruction capable of producing prose in tomorrow's headlines.

Because when that happens I'll take that headline and slide it right under the windshield wiper of my neighbor. A neighbor who I've never seen by sight but a neighbor I know all too well: big lifted, 'I clearly have a small c*ck', silver Chevy with a cab window glorifying an obscenely large Raider decal and a license plate frame proclaiming membership in 'The Raider Nation'. I have never seen this neighbor. His monstrosity of a truck just sits there in a prime parking space, each and every day.....pregnant women, people with heaps of groceries and the elderly be damned!

I will take that headline and put it under that mother fu*cker's windshield as a giant 'F*CK YOU!', for the last nine months of parking injustice and failed assimilation into the culture of San Diego. Raiders?!!!

I will scrawl an epithet beneath the headline and it will read as follows:

I hope you've enjoyed that parking space you no good sum-a- b*tch!
Sincerely
12 Wins In-A-Row At The Hands Of The San Diego Chargers

EDITOR'S NOTE:
I am not angry, merely bothered by unregulated parking

Nice Debut, Cutlersuck

(This picture is on ESPN right now...Shout to KSK commentor Erik for the link)

It's difficult for me to wish the Chicago Bears ill will....but, God was it enjoyable to see the Little Hillbilly heave 4 interceptions and get the 'L'. Curious to hear his quotes in the paper tomorrow.

If I had to convert...

If forced to start wearing a jersey from a team other than the Chargers there's little doubt which one I'd choose:

Troy Polamalu is amazing. From the closing speed into the backfield and the subsequent blasting of Tennessee's Chris Johnson to the one handed interception, #43 does it all. It's disappointing to see a player of his caliber injured in the first game of the year but if it means he has to rest against the Bolts in week four....then perhaps it's God's will.

Speaking of God; if I could replicate a Christ like beard my earthly model would be.....

.....#43. The Jersey and the beard.

I should be goin' on about the Chargers but UPS took the wind out of my sails with another royal Fuc*ing! Gartrell Johnson T-Shirt, returned to sender.

What can brown do for you, my a$$?!

Merriman versus Tequilla: The City in the Country (aka Poway) has not been kind to Chargers

I know some kids from Poway...they were pool hopping, ice blocking, throwing a dummy in the road or some crap like that...this is what they witnessed amidst the juvenile hijinks:

[Shawne Merriman, Bold. Tila Tequila, Italic]

Baby...you're beautiful. Nobody's hotter than you. I'll never even look at other ho's

Whatever. F*ck you and that last stupid whore you were dating.

Baby...you da bomb. I'm over that beat ol' ho. [caresses her like he's Billy Dee Williams]

F*ck You....where's my drink? Why'd you take my drink? [gives stink eye]

Honey...you don't need to finish that drink...it's 3:30 AM

F*ck you, you f*ckin' 'roid f*ck! [pulls hair from her mouth]

[Man's impeccably poor timing for breaking up with a girl rears it's ugly head]

This ain't workin' baby. I dig you but this is too much drama. I got a Lombardi Trophy to win & a contract to get. [flexes pecs]

What the f*ck are you sayin'? You gonna go f*ck that Gloria Velez ho again?

B*tch, you better recognize...[raises pimp hand]

Who you callin' a b*tch? Nobody calls me a b*tch. I'm outta here...where my keys?

Fine! Get to steppin' you midget crack whore![waves hand dismissively]

[Conscience enters room at 3;32 AM]

You're not going anywhere. Calm down. Go back into the house with my friends.

F*ck you. I'm leaving. [storms off]

You not leaving. You too drunk.

F*ck you. Washed up has-been!

I'm not letting you leave.

The f*ck you are! I will kick you in the f*ckin' knee, you ape-f*ck!

[270 lb man grabs 93 lb reality whore: shit hits proverbial fan]

You mother f*cker! I'm calling the po' po'....you see that? Shawne Merriman choked me!

[Shawne Merriman looks to Providence]

You see that? Shawne Merriman choked me and he's forcing me to stay here.
[Tila T thinks about puking]

[SM, looking skyward, mouths "Why God?"....ponders $$$ lost as future FA]

The point:
...... nobody knows what happened except those involved and since they were all partying at 3:30 AM, who really knows?

I'm amazed at how quickly people have rushed to judgement on this whole thing. Doesn't anyone remember Ben Roethlisberger being accused of rape and then word leaking out that the 'victim' had bragged about how she got with Big Ben. So let's not start speculating on Commissioner Goodell's judgement or begin burning your #56 jerseys. Nation...chill the 'F' out.

I don't think domestic violence is funny in any way but it just wouldn't surprise me, since alcohol was involved, if the whole incident is one that has been blown out of proportion. Preliminary reports seem to indicate that Tila Tequila was really drunk and tried to leave the house. Doesn't it make sense that if SM is dating her he would stop her from attempting to drive? Of course I could be entirely wrong....

In which case: praise be to General Manager AJ Smith for drafting Larry English.

Editor's Note:
The pictures chosen for this piece were not intended to show, in any way, that Tila Tequilla is an attention whore.

Friday Afternoon Link Delight 9/4

1/2 of Sage Advice......How did it take Alba this long to make it to a Friday?

Very busy and the week has flown by so the only provided links are as follows:

Thigh of the week, Rosie Jones [Sharapova's Thigh]
Kouz & Head. A hot Eckstein. The merits of drafting a stinking Patriot in your fantasy draft. [619 Sports]

Schilling and Sanguine Stocking to Senate?

Back in October of 2004 Curt Schilling and his bloody sock ruled the world. I took pleasure in seeing the Red Sox end The Curse because it was at the expense of the vaunted New York Yankees and their exorbitant payroll, capable of sustaining the lesser developed countries of the world.

Soon after the anticlimactic World Series victory, Curt Schilling would do the media rounds as all heroes do when at their peak. Schilling's rounds coincided with the 2004 Presidential Election; the election which was supposed to be a referendum on the failed policies of President George W. Bush.

While doing the talk circuit, Schilling, never one to withhold an opinion, quickly and quite emphatically dismissed the notion of an endorsement for Massachusetts' Senator John Kerry, for President. What stuck with me was how dismissive Schilling was of the suggestion; as if voting for someone other than the incumbent was tantamount to sedition. Really, I thought? Sure John Kerry's a bit of a stiff but.....have you seen the way Bush has governed? Heading into the election of '04, Bush's 1st term couldn't be described as anything less than disastrous. Curt Schilling lost me the day he thought more Bush was a good thing.....more George Bush.

Fast forward to 2009. Liberal Massachusetts icon, Senator Edward M. Kennedy, has passed away, his seat left vacant in The Upper House. Enter Curt Schilling and his bloody sock to fill the departed shoes of Ted Kennedy:

"I'm not going to divulge the discussions, but I've been contacted by people whose opinion I give credence to and listen to, and I listened," Schilling said.

Asked whether he would run, Schilling said, "As of today, probably not."

"I don't know, going forward," Schilling said. "That's a pretty big deal, from a commitment standpoint, not just for me but for my family."

After the interview, Schilling added to his comments with a statement he posted on his blog.

"I do have some interest in the possibility,"

Now, maybe someone who believes in George W. Bush and agrees with most of what Ann Coulter says would be good for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Then again, maybe not. Some of the comments I've read from the good people of Mass., seem to suggest that ol' Curt should stick to talkin' baseball. I tend to agree.

Politically I dislike traditional party labels as well as the restrictive nature of being a plotted point on the political spectrum. However, if pressed to categorize myself I would fall under the genus, A angustus Constitution substructio Habeanae*, which essentially means I have some Conservatism in my blood. Having admitted to that designation: Anyone who believes in George W. Bush or Ann Coulter is seriously f#cked in the head.**

I pray for Massachusetts....

*I used a Latin translator to yield the above phrasing. Loosely: A limited, Constitutionally based Government. I do not trust the Government to make sound decisions hence the 'limited' and the 'Constitutionally based'. The Constitution was meant to shackle our leaders thus protecting the people.

** Sorry for the political commentary. Curt Schilling started it.

A Padre Fan's Observation: Elijah Dukes Is Not Good

Elijah Dukes is not a good baseball player.

In the top of the second he hit a weak grounder that SS Everth Cabrera was going to have difficulty grabbing and throwing. The type of play that could possibly induce a wild off balanced throw. Sure enough, ECab floats the throw high ......but Dukes never even looks into foul territory as he beats out the throw. It's of little import as the ball bounces into the stands but he had to be told to take his base which is just bad baseball. Always look into foul territory as you run through the bag as your immediate recognition of an errant throw is what will earn you the extra bag. Free advice for ya Dukes.

A half inning later I saw Dukes make a play in the outfield, a play which ensured that this post would be written. After Kevin Kouzmanoff led off with a booming double, Will Venable followed with a sharp single to the right fielder Dukes. Dukes scooped the ball cleanly and proceeded to airmail both his cut-off man and catcher, allowing Venable to take 2B. Once again bad baseball by Elijah Dukes.

As I readied myself to write with the Friars up 2-0......up stepped Mr. Dukes in the top of the 7th against a dueling Clayton Richard. Dukes worked a walk. Good stuff. Then got picked off. What happens next? Former Padre Josh Bard launches a bomb but it only halves the lead instead of tying it for the Nationals, because Elijah Dukes is not a smart baseball player (It should also be noted that the pick was really bad. Richard is a lefty and he induced Dukes to lean back to 1B and then Dukes shuffled off thinking he was in good shape.....rally killer!).

Dare I publish this before the game even ends? Elijah Dukes has plenty of time to eff the puppy even further....

Imagine that? I found a picture with Elijah Dukes screwing something up!